Live Interactive Sessions

To help ensure technical issues don’t prevent you from joining live sessions on time, we strongly recommend signing in 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. 

• What timezone are live sessions held?
• How do I sign in to a live session?
• How can I ensure my computer is ready for live sessions?
• Can I participate in a live session from a smartphone or tablet?
• What if I’m not able to view the live session captioning?
• Will I still be able to earn CEUs if I missed the first 10 minutes of the live session?
• Why is my live session attendance not tracking?
• I’m trying to join a live session in Adobe Connect using the Chrome browser, but after I click the ‘Join Us Live’ button in the course, I just see an unchanging gray Adobe Connect window. The full live-session window doesn’t open. What should I do?

What times are the live sessions held?

All the times listed on our site are in Eastern Time (UTC−5:00) for U.S. and Canada. If you aren’t sure what time this is compared to your current time zone, we recommend using this site to compare: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

How do I sign in to a live session? 

On the day of a live session, go to the course homepage and click on the orange ‘Join Us Live’ button at the top. If this does not launch Adobe Connect (the live session platform), you may need to enable pop-ups in your browser. If you are using Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox, follow the instructions linked to enable pop-ups. If you are wanting CEUs for the course, please avoid using a mobile device. 

How can I ensure my computer is ready for live sessions?

• We host our live interactive sessions in Adobe Connect. Before signing in to your first live session, install the Adobe Connect meeting application for Windows or Mac. (If you want CEUs for the course, please avoid using a mobile device.)
• Make sure your internet download and upload speeds are each at least 512 Kbps. You can check your speeds with the Adobe Connect Diagnostic Test. Please note: Your speeds can change suddenly and are affected by traffic (for example, if a coworker or household member starts streaming movies) and distance from your router or hotspot.
• For the best-quality sound and lowest chance of causing an echo, use a headset with a microphone rather than your computer’s built-in speakers and microphone. Wired headsets generally produce better audio than wireless ones. To minimize technical issues with your audio, plug in your headset before you join the live session.
• Log into the live interactive session 20 minutes before the scheduled start time so we can address any technical issues.

If you are having difficulty joining a live session in Adobe Connect, please email us at learn@hearingfirst.org. In your email, please let us know what type of computer you are using (Windows or Mac) and, if possible, include a screenshot of what you’re seeing.

Can I participate in a live session from a smartphone or tablet? 

If you are wanting CEUs for the course, please avoid using a mobile device so our system can accurately track your participation. (See Why is my live session attendance not tracking?) For the best possible learning experience, we recommend you use a computer instead of a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. Adobe Connect Mobile app users report that video files and captioning do not perform properly and the interface is difficult to navigate.  

What if I’m not able to view the live session captioning?

Join the session using a desktop or laptop computer instead of a mobile device. Alternatively, you can view session captioning at https://www.streamtext.net/text.aspx?event=CFI-HF.  

Will I still be able to earn CEUs if I missed the first 10 minutes of the live session?

Yes. Learners are allowed 20 minutes of grace for live course sessions. 

Why is my live session attendance not tracking?

Note that requirements tracking can take up to 24 hours to refresh. Contact learn@hearingfirst.org if you still have questions after the 24-hour period.

I’m trying to join a live session in Adobe Connect using the Chrome browser, but after I click the ‘Join Us Live’ button in the course, I just see an unchanging gray Adobe Connect window. The full live-session window doesn’t open. What should I do?

Within one minute after the gray Adobe Connect window appears, the gray progress bar should start turning blue and “Connecting…” should appear under that bar (see first image below). If your Adobe Connect window remains gray, you probably need to enable Adobe Flash in Chrome. 

To enable Adobe Flash in Chrome:

1. Return to the main Chrome window.
2. At the left end of the address bar, to the left of where you see ‘hearingfirst.adobeconnect.com …,’ click the View site information icon ().
3. In the box that appears (see second image below), click the drop-down to the right of ‘Flash,’ then select ‘Allow.’
4. If a blue Reload button appears, click it. If that button doesn’t appear, click the Reload this page icon () to the left of the View site information icon () you clicked in Step 2 above.
5. The gray Adobe Connect window should appear again, and within one minute, the  gray progress bar should start turning blue and “Connecting …” should appear under that bar.
6. Within one minute after that, the full live-session window should appear.

If the steps above do not resolve your issue, please email us at learn@hearingfirst.org. 

If you are using a browser other than Chrome, please see the instructions for your specific browser at https://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/connect-browser-issues.html#:~:text=Flash.